True Bonds Never Break
by nickdaman6
Summary: A post Twilight Princess fanfic. The story goes into about 6 key stages in Ilia and Link's life, starting with their childhood. After the first chapter, it will go into life between the two after Link saves Hyrule. Hope y'all enjoy! Link x Ilia. Rated T. As of June 15, 2014: Complete.
1. A Promise Made is a Promise Kept

**Hey y'all**

**So, I know Twilight Princess is pretty old, but I just replayed it and loved it, as I always do. Legend of Zelda's number 1! And one thing I really like was the relationship between Ilia and Link, but the game never went too in-depth into it. So, I decided to write a short story talking about their childhood, life after Link saves Hyrule, and their deaths. It will be about hm… 6 or 7 chapters. As of now it will be rated… T? May change to M, don't know how descriptive I'll get with this. Also, they are about 11 or 12 in this chapter. Enjoy the story, folks!**

**I do not own, nor ever will own, the rights to the Legend of Zelda or any of the characters, objects, creatures, etc. Nintendo owns all rights to this franchise.**

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**Chapter 1: A Promise Made is a Promise Kept**

Water washed over the white sand that hid their feet. Both giggled as the pool lapsed over and tickled them. It was a clear spring day with a strong sun and the wind gave a gentle breeze. Besides the two children giggling and the small, chestnut filly neighing, the Ordon Spring was relatively quiet. Everything was at peace, but the children at play were only paying attention to each other.

"So, if you could be one other race in all of Hyrule, which one would you be?" The little girl questioned, continuing the game they had been playing all afternoon. This was a common past time spent by the two friends; basking in the waters of the spring while asking each other questions. It was simple, but some of the best things in life were simple.

"Hm…" A young Hylian boy sitting next to her pondered this question with a deciding look on his face. "Well, I'd probably want to be a Goron! They're so big and strong, they can crush boulders with their bare hands!" He mimicked smashing an imaginary stone in front him with his fists. Bringing his arms back up too fast caused him to fall backwards.

The little girl rolled her eyes and giggled. "Of course _you'd _be a Goron, Link. You always try to act so tough." She mocked him in her usual way.

Said boy came up from the sand, blonde hair wilder than usual. Link flexed his arms, revealing little muscles. "Try?" His friend punched him playfully on the shoulder.

"Yes. _Try_." Both laughed at the playful gesture, while Link rubbed his shoulder.

"Okay, Ilia. What race would you be?"

"That's easy. I'd be a Zora!" Ilia stood up and began to twirl around and dance. "They're so graceful in the water!" Becoming dizzy, her "graceful" dance ended as she tripped and fell into the sand. Link stood up and gave her a hand, pulling her up off the ground. "Plus," Ilia began as she headed towards the spring "they get to spend their entire life in water!" After she reached the clear pool, she splashed Link.

This quickly turned into a full out water war as Link ran in and began splashing Ilia. The filly, Epona, whinnied and neighed every time a stray splash came her way. Eventually the two became drenched and, with having enough fun in the water, decided to go back on the beach to dry in the sun.

"That was fun!" Exclaimed Ilia as her excitement wore off. "Your turn to ask a question, Link!"

The young boy pondered for a moment. He knew what he wanted to ask, but didn't know if it was a good question. It was something he had never known, something he may never know. But Ilia was his best friend, so he thought she would listen to his question and give him a sincere answer. "What's… What's it like… to have a family?"

Ilia's eyes widened in surprise at the question her friend asked. Immediately, the air around the two became somber. Across from Ilia, she noticed Link staring into the water, trying to hold back his tears. She didn't know how to respond, at first, but an answer was beginning to come to her head.

"It's amazing. To always have someone there. Someone to care for you when you're sick, someone to teach you everything." Link was beginning to tear up more, knowing he didn't have a mother or father to care for him when he was sick or teach him what was right and wrong. Ilia wasn't finished, however. "But, Link" she reached out and touched his shoulder. "You have all of that in Ordon Village. You have my father, Rusl, Uli, everyone." A smile formed on her face. "And you have me, your best friend."

Link looked at her, tears were beginning to roll down his face. She was right. Even though he didn't have a real family, he had Ordon Village, which was enough for him. Through the few tears that appeared on his face, you could see Ilia's smile was passed on to him. His voice was slightly choked. "Well, then I guess I do know what it feels like." They looked at each other, in silence, just smiling. He was happy to know that Ordon Village, especially Ilia, would always be his true family.

The sun was beginning to set and twilight was making its way into the Ordon Springs. A few more flickers of light would make their way into the world, then disappear into the night. "It's almost night", Link observed. "This was a fun day, but we should probably be heading back soon."

"Wait, can I ask you one more question?" Ilia asked in a pleading tone.

Link's smile continued. "Well, technically you'd have to ask me if you could ask two since that was a question." The joke didn't go over Ilia's head, and Link received another playful punch from her. "I'm sure we have time for one more." Making their way to Epona, Ilia tried to figure out how to ask this question. It was simple, but some things that seemed simple were, in actuality, complicated.

"Will we always be friends?"

Link looked at her, surprised she needed to ask this question. But instead of giving her a simple reply, he went towards the patch of horse grass growing by the spring. Next to it was a blade of grass that Link picked. He turned around so Ilia, who was confused at what her friend was doing, couldn't see what his plan was. After a few seconds he turned around and had the piece of grass in his hand, now crafted into a simple ring.

Approaching Ilia, Link put the ring on her finger. "I promise, we'll always be friends." It didn't need to be said that the ring signified that promise. A bright smile donned her face and she hugged Link with such force that they nearly fell down. Once they were separated from each other, they made their way, along with Epona, towards the spring's exit. They would always remember this moment, even when they grew up, and they would keep this promise, till the end of time. Even with Link on his journey, Ilia just needed to look at the small, grass ring she kept on the desk next to her bed to know that, someday, he would return. It was a simple ring, a simple promise, a simple memory, but some of the best things in life were simple.

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**Okay, so I know it wasn't that exciting of a chapter. I know it wasn't adventurous and all that other stuff. But what I do know is that they probably would've had a promise like this as kids, right? So, that's where I'm starting off. Next chapter, I will fast forward to after Link saves Hyrule, things will get better. Promise!**

**Stay tuned, until next time y'all, peace! Thank ya kindly for reading :) **


	2. A Hero's Return

**Hey y'all!**

**Second chapter up and running, and man it's a good one! I've read this over several times and made sure it sounded just right so you guys would get a perfect idea of what, most likely, would have happened when Link returned. Again, my story so my opinion, but I hope y'all like it and agree with me! Looking for all reviews and criticism, positive and please don't hesitate to post negative comments, it helps me become a better writer! Enjoy the story, folks!**

**I do not own, nor ever will own, the rights to the Legend of Zelda or any of the characters, objects, creatures, etc. Nintendo owns all rights to this franchise. Sad, but true…**

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**Chapter 2: A Hero's Return**

The clouds were forming different shapes, creating new pictures in the sky. She watched them while she waited for Link almost every day. Waves of water were the only sounds that could be heard in the Ordon Spring. It was the only sound she wanted to hear, it calmed her. Ilia came here to think, to relax, and to remember. Almost all of her memories revolved around Link whenever she decided to lay in the Spring's sand.

Occasionally, she would hear a neigh in the distance and turn around to face the entrance. Every time she turned around, however, there was no one there. It had been months since Link had left Ordon Village again, promising that, one day, he would return.

_"It'll go by fast." Link tried to reassure Ilia._

_ "I know, but…" Ilia paused, trying to collect herself. "You've only been back for a few days, it's not fair…" Link could hear the frustration and sadness in her voice. Her eyes were staring at the ground, trying to hide her tears from her best friend._

_ Said friend put his hand under her chin and tilted her head up so she stared at him instead. "Hey. I will be back, you know I will." Ilia, at that moment, felt like she should have kissed him, like she should have tried to get him to stay for her. But it didn't happen. Instead, he embraced her and held her for a few moments. "I'll be back for you, I promise." He whispered into her ear. A gentle kiss was felt on her forehead. Then, Link got up onto Epona and left the village. _

_ It felt like minutes, but her father told her later she stood there for hours. She stood by the entrance to Ordon Village, not believing that her lifelong friend had left, again. All she could think about was Link coming back. The sun was setting before she went home._

Link said it would go by fast, but it had been three months and not a word had been heard from him. This made Ilia worry; was he not coming back? Was he leaving for good? Was he… dead? She didn't let herself entertain these thoughts and immediately forced them out of her head.

The wind blew gently on her face and water submerged her toes. It was midafternoon, sleep was calling to her. She laid her head down on the sand, drifting in and out of consciousness.

"_I promise, we'll always be friends."_

The moment when Link gave her the grass ring when they were kids was the first to enter her mind. On her ring finger, she played with the simple band. Doing so reminded her of the times when they were young. It helped to fuel her dreams of Link. Ilia dreamt of the times they had spent together in the Spring, the village, and the ranch. It was bliss for her, it made it feel like he was right next to her. During her nap, she thought she heard a whinny echo through the forest and Spring, but she knew it was most likely another ghost giving her false hope.

She stayed asleep and daydreamed for another hour before being woken up by her father calling for her. "Ilia!" Mayor Bo called out. "Are you here?" Ilia opened her eyes and turned around to see her father near the entrance to Ordon Spring. "There you are, we've been looking all over for you!" Bo came over and gave her a big hug.

"Well, you should have known to check here first. I'm usually always here." A smile appeared on Ilia's face. Even though Link wasn't here, she still had her father. "And what do you mean "we"? I don't see anyone else-" Bo returned the smile and moved out of Ilia's way. Her attention was drawn to the Ordon Spring entrance, where she saw a young man in a green tunic and hat. She saw Link. Tears immediately filled her eyes as she ran over and nearly tackled him to the ground. "This… Is this real?" She wondered aloud.

Link chuckled. "Yes, Ilia. It's real. I'm home." They held each other for a few more seconds, then Link was hit on the head by Ilia's hand.

"What took you so long?! You said it would go by fast!" She went into her normal way of talking to Link when he did something she didn't like. However, he knew this was her way of showing affection.

He rubbed the back of his head and laughed slightly. "Well, it was a long journey and… Okay, I don't have any other excuse."

Ilia's mock anger turned back into a joyful mood. She hugged him again. "It's okay. I'm just glad you're back." A smile highlighted her face and tears came down from her eyes. It was the moment Ilia had been waiting for since he left. Mayor Bo then came up to them.

"Okay, Ilia. Why don't you go back and make us some supper? I'm sure he's famished, and Link and I have some… things to discuss. He also needs to finish saying 'hi' to everyone in the village." Ilia wasn't happy with what her father said as she broke away from Link. "Don't worry, we'll be able to talk to him all tonight, okay?"

"Alright, father." Ilia reluctantly left the Spring, saying goodbye to Mayor Bo and Link. Once she left, she ran straight for the house, but first stopped by Link's place to see Epona. The brown mare neighed as Ilia approached her. "Hey, girl. I'm glad you're back, and you did just as I asked." She went up and patted Epona on the head. "Thanks for bringing Link back safely and looking after him." A friendly neigh the response Ilia received. After that side trip was finished, she continued her journey back to her house.

There, she quickly began to prepare a meal suited for a hero. She diced vegetables and cut up pieces of Ordon pumpkins, fish, and cheese to put into a soup. One thing she remembered Link talking about when he was last in Ordon Village was the soup made by a Yeti named Yeto. He said it was the best he had ever had, so Ilia tried to remake it to the best of her abilities.

Once all the ingredients were in the cauldron over the fire, she began to set the table and brought out wooden glasses of Ordon goat milk. Everything was set and the soup was cooking just fine. So, Ilia went upstairs to clean off the sand that was clinging to her skin and hair. She combed out her hair and cleaned her body off with a moist towel. When she was satisfied and believed she was presentable, she went out to the porch to await her father and their guest.

After waiting about five minutes, she saw the two exiting Rusl and Uli's house, followed by Colin, his parents, and their new born baby. Rusl looked happy to see his apprentice, again, and Uli looked like she was giving him advice on something. While this was going on, Link held the baby, playing with it as they were talking. Colin was by Link's side, watching over his sibling and looking at the man he considered his hero. Most of Hyrule consider Link their hero, now. The Hero of Twilight. A few seconds later they made their way to Bo's house and Rusl's family went back inside theirs.

Ilia smiled at Link when he approached the porch. "So, what's on the menu for tonight?" Link asked excitedly. It was nice to see his appetite hadn't change a bit.

The blonde girl giggled. "Well, a nice, delicious soup. Made from Ordon pumpkins, cheese, and fish. Wait, isn't that the soup you said Yeto made for you?" She let a knowing smile appear on her face as the look on Link's face became even more excited.

"You remembered!"

"Of course, how could I forget any detail from the Hero of Twilight's journey?" She gave Link a wink as she said this.

"Good call, Ilia. I'm sure Link will love it!" Bo entered into the conversation. "And I get to try this "Yeto's" legendary soup he talks so much about." The hunger on both of their faces could easily be seen and would make a Like Like jealous.

They went into the house and sat down at the table while Ilia served the soup. It was just like old times when Link would return from the ranch and be invited to dinner. All of them talked about these times and laughed about the memories they had together. Link had two more servings of the soup, showing that his appetite was still intact, much to Bo and Ilia's amusement.

After dinner, Bo took care of the dishes, giving Ilia a break. "Go outside and enjoy the spring night; both of you have some catching up to do, so I won't get in the way." The mayor told them in a friendly tone. A scheming gleam came to his eye, but Ilia didn't think twice about it. She thanked her father and gave him a hug. Then, both left for the door.

Night had set in on Ordon Village and the stars were brightly illuminating the buildings around them. They quickly fell into step with each other and began to talk like the times when they were young; this mostly involved Link joking with Ilia and her playfully punching him. It was nice that they had this time together, again.

"You know, when you winked at me it reminded me of Telma." Link began. "How much time have you been spending with her?" He let out a laugh following this.

Ilia joined in after a couple seconds. "Well, anytime I go to Castle Town or anytime she comes here. She saved me, so I consider her one of my best friends. Maybe I'm getting to know her too well if that reminded you of her." They continued to laugh and reveled in this as it made it feel like Link never left.

Eventually, they made their way, as they usually did, to Ordon Springs. During their childhood, when nights were clear and not a cloud was in the sky, they would lay down under the stars. They would pick out constellations and wish upon shooting stars, never telling the other the wish because then it wouldn't come true. Lying under the night sky made them feel like nothing was wrong and everything was right. Now, with Link back in Ordon Village for good, maybe they could feel this way, again. Not just under the stars, but every minute of every day. As they laid on the shore of the Spring, they continued talking as they had in the past.

Link finished telling another story that he forgot to mention to Ilia when he was in Ordon Village the last time. "… And the spider fell, I defeated it… Or so I thought." A grin came to him and he began to laugh. "And then…" He had to get control of himself. "Its eye was the real spider and it just started skirting around the dungeon floor!" The laughter continued. Ilia wasn't laughing as much as him, and he noticed this. "Well, I guess you had to see it."

"Probably, but it was funnier than most of your stories." The air around them grew serious and somber. Ilia had a scared look on her face. "After seeing you in Kakariko Village and seeing you leave, I was afraid… " Tears began to come to her eyes. Both of them sat up and Ilia pulled herself closer to Link. She held onto him, never wanting to let him go. "I was afraid I would never see you again. And after you left Ordon Village… I thought you would never come back…"

They looked into each other's eyes and Link was at a loss for words. "I'm sorry, Ilia. I didn't realize that-" His sentence was cut short as Ilia closed the gap between their faces with a kiss. It only lasted a few seconds, but that was all they needed, for it meant the world to both of them.

Once they broke apart, Ilia managed to speak with the fast pace of her heart. "I forgive you, just promise you won't ever leave me, again."

"I promise I won't." Link smiled. "You don't know how long I've been waiting for this to happen."

Ilia gave him another quick kiss. "I can guess." She grinned sheepishly.

Link turned his head to the ground and looked like he was thinking. He then turned to look at Ilia and brought her to her feet as he did so. At this point, he got on one knee and took Ilia's left hand. "Ilia, ever since I've known you, I've always loved you and it has taking me till now to realize it. I asked for your father's permission earlier today, and... Ilia?" He reached into his pocket as a surprised look came over her. "Will you… Will you…? Where is it?!" His hand was fishing around inside his pocket frantically, finally discovering a small hole at the bottom of it. "No… No, no, no! It must have fallen out!"

Ilia finally got out of her shock and realized what Link was doing. Her attention fell to her right hand and the simple, grass ring on it. She took it off and gave it to Link. "Here, use this." Nervousness could be heard in her voice, but nonetheless she was filled with joy at what was about to happen. Link looked at the small ring and was pleasantly surprised she still had it. This was much better than the golden wedding band he had received from the Gorons.

"Ilia," he finally continued with a smile on his face. "Will you marry me?"

"Of course I will!" She jumped into his arms and kissed him repeatedly, overwhelmed with joy at the proposal. They looked into each other's eyes. Link held her face in his hands. "I love you, Link. More than anything."

"I love you, too. And I will always love you."

They say that when you are created, you are created with four legs, four arms, two bodies, and two heads that are then separated. This way you spend your life looking for your other half, the person who you are meant to be with. For Ilia and Link, they didn't have to look very far. All they had to do was make a simple promise to a special friend for love to bloom in their hearts.

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**Aw… It's so touching, I wanna cry… And I wrote it! *sniff* Okay… Back to manly mode. Hoped y'all liked this, it was a hard piece to write! I had to make sure everything sounded original and came together perfectly. What can I say? It's hard to figure out love, let alone figure it out between two people who aren't you.**

**Stay tuned for the next chapter y'all, I hear wedding bells! Peace! Thank ya kindly for reading :)**


	3. A New Beginning, Together

**Hey y'all**

**Oi! How many stories have I posted this late… I think it's 1 am, again… Yup… I need to stop! Okay, freak out is over… I think… So next chapter up and running, and I think you guys will like it! It didn't take me as long as the last ones, since I knew exactly how to write this. Hope y'all like it, and please review, critique, comment, etc. on this, positive and negative are both welcome! Enjoy the story, folks!**

**I do not own, nor ever will own, the rights to the Legend of Zelda or any of the characters, objects, creatures, etc. Nintendo owns all rights to this franchise… Maybe someday…**

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**Chapter 3: A New Beginning, Together**

Sunrise peeked through the window and shone on Link's face. The beam of light shook him awake as it struck his eyes. It was bright and early. Usually he wouldn't be up around this time, sleeping until the sun had been up for a few hours. However, today was special and a lot needed to be done before the day's ceremony could begin. So, he figured he could sacrifice a few hours of sleep for his wedding.

The air in Ordon Village was cool and brisk as Link exited his house. It was fall in Hyrule and all the trees were bathed in hues of red, yellow, and orange. A soft breeze grew, coming in from the south and bringing the first chills of winter along with it. Though it was growing cooler by the day, the temperature was almost perfect.

Waiting outside for him was Bo and Rusl. He wasn't surprised that they were waiting for him, after all they only had a short amount of time to prepare. When Link got down to the bottom, Bo and Rusl came up to him.

"Alright, Link. You need to go back up and get ready for your wedding." Bo explained as he turned Link around. "And we're here to help you." A smile highlighted both of their faces.

"But, what about the preparations for the wedding?" He questioned. "Don't I need to help?" By this time, he had made it up the ladder and back to the entrance of his house. Bo and Rusl were right behind him.

"Don't worry about that, Gorons came in last night to help with getting everything ready." Rusl replied with a smile. "Now, let's go over your vows. You have them written down somewhere, haven't you?"

Link paused for a minute. How could he have forgotten about the vows! He let out a nervous scream. This answered Rusl's question.

He sighed. "Oh, Link. I should have figured you would have procrastinated this long." Both Bo and Rusl laughed. "Lucky for you, we're here. No one was able to help us when we forgot to write our vows."

Bo kept on laughing. "Okay, boy. Now, let's get to work on those vows. After all, it is my daughter you're marrying." A knowing smile came to his face at the end of this, as did the pride of Link marrying his daughter. So far, Link's wedding day was not going as planned and nervousness was already setting in. As they began writing down his vows for Ilia, he wondered what she was doing. Knowing her, she wouldn't let her vows go until last minute, at least.

Across the fields of Ordon Village, in Mayor Bo's house, Ilia was still sleeping. The sun had already been in the sky for almost an hour when she was shaken awake. When she opened her eyes, she was happy to discover Telma and Uli by her bedside. "Wakey, wakey, sleeping beauty!" Telma greeted her. "You know what day it is, right?"

Ilia had a puzzled look on her face. Once realization dawned on her, she formed an expression of terror. "Oh no! It's my wedding day! I've slept in!" Both Uli and Telma laughed at her.

"It's okay, Ilia. We have Gorons getting everything ready for the wedding. So, you don't have to worry about that." Uli informed her with a smile. "Telma and I are here to help _you_ get ready." Ilia got out of her bed and was guided downstairs to the dining table. A small breakfast of cheese and eggs were awaiting her. "If you don't eat, nervousness will surely get to you."

While she was eating, the two women began to style Ilia's hair. They began by brushing it until it had a brilliant shine. Then, to highlight her short, blonde hair, small autumn leaves were put in. This was a tradition amongst Ordonian women, as it symbolized the changing of times, both good and bad. In this case, the leaves symbolized a change for the better. Ordonian weddings were also held for this very reason: to match the important changing of the seasons with an important change in the village's life.

After she finished her meal, Telma and Uli helped her get dressed. The dress she wore was delicate, white, and had short sleeves that didn't pass her shoulder. The gown was quite simple, but it fit Ilia perfectly, clinging to her body and highlighting its beauty even more so. It came down to her ankles, stopping right at her bare feet. A small headband of leaves matching the ones in Ilia's hair was placed on her head. Her grass ring she received from Link when they were children was on her right ring finger. Eventually, the Gorons made her another wedding band and it was given to her as a gift. She accepted it, but informed them that she would rather wear the grass ring given to her, as it meant more to Link and Ilia than the golden one. Of course, the Gorons understood, but it would still be used in the ceremony. Once she was ready, Telma and Uli gasped at her beauty as tears began to form in their eyes.

Telma came up and gave Ilia a gentle hug. "You look so beautiful, honey. Link is a lucky man to be marrying you." They gave each other a smile.

Uli followed Telma and gave Ilia another hug. "You remind me of your mother on her wedding day. She would be so proud of you, Ilia." Tears began to form in Ilia's eyes now, as she gave Uli one more hug. Telma stepped in a few seconds later.

"Okay, honey. We have to go get ready ourselves. After all", Telma had a mischievous smile on her face. "I hear Renado is going to be the one marrying you two today." She gave Ilia a wink and left to get ready at Rusl and Uli's house. She was followed by Uli.

"While we're gone, you may want to go over your vows." She saw Ilia's nervousness and gave her an encouraging smile. "I felt the same way on my wedding day. You'll be fine, trust me. Link is probably more nervous than you are." A small chuckle came from her and Ilia. Then, she left the house and closed the door, leaving Ilia alone to memorize her vows.

"Well," she began to herself "at least I have my vows written down. Knowing Link, he probably hasn't even written one word." She laughed to herself, again, not knowing how right she was. Back at Link's home, Bo and Rusl were trying to help Link memorize his quickly written vows.

"You have been my greatest friend and I have always loved you." He began to recite, walking back and forth in a nervous motion. "And under the eyes of the goddesses, I will… I will… Um…" A pause came as he began scratching his head and trying to remember what was next.

Rusl jumped in. "I will promise to protect you from whatever evils and hardships come our way." Link let out a sigh and a nerve-wrecked laugh.

"Yeah, that." A discouraged look then followed. "Rusl, what if I can't memorize these lines?" Bo and Rusl chuckled.

"My boy", Rusl began. "We both had trouble memorizing our own vows. Hell, Bo even stuttered and messed up a line during his wedding!"

"It was only because I was distracted by the beautiful woman in front of me!" Bo exclaimed. "And what about you? You nearly passed out when you were saying yours." Link and Bo laughed at Rusl who was trying to hide his embarrassment with a grin.

"We had a summer wedding. I-it was the heat, I swear!" This didn't stop the onslaught of laugher that followed. Once it subsided, Link went back to work memorizing his lines. He began to recite it, again. Most nervous thoughts were being blocked from entering his head, but that didn't stop a few from breaking through. Link was surprised at his own nervousness. Here he was, the Hero of Twilight, worrying about marriage. Compared to the monsters he faced, this should be easy, but every possibility of the future between him and Ilia entered his head. Some were filled with happiness and joy, but many were filled with sadness and fear. He was scared he couldn't be the husband that Ilia deserved. Both Bo and Rusl saw the look on his face, recognizing it.

"Don't worry, my boy. You'll be a great husband." Rusl reassured him.

Bo followed up. "You'll be an amazing husband! And I couldn't ask for a better son-in-law." He gave Link an approving grin.

"Thanks, you two." Link tried to make a reassuring grin. "Now, back to memorizing these vows. How much time do we have left before the wedding?"

His two friends looked out the window at the sun. "I'd say… probably an hour. So, we better start getting ready. You better start getting ready, too." Rusl stated.

"Okay, an hour. I have the time to go over this, again and change, I think." After this was said, Bo and Rusl made their way out of Link's home and to their own respective houses to ready themselves. He gazed out the window before turning back to his written vows.

A few minutes later, once he believed that he had done his best, Link began to change into his own clothes. It was a tunic, just like the many he had worn before, but this one was red to match the fall colors. He had tan pants on under the tunic, as well as a white undershirt and brown boots. His blonde hair stayed in its normal, wild curls. He looked at himself in the mirror to make sure everything was in order. When he was satisfied, he made his way out of his house and onto Epona. Bo and Rusl met him out there, telling him everyone was ready for the wedding, they were just waiting on the two center pieces.

The group made their way to Ordon Spring, where the wedding was being held. It was tradition to hold Ordon weddings in the Spring, as it was sacred to the Ordonians and was where the Light Spirit, Ordona, resided. Also, it was sacred to the two who were being wed, having spent so much of their childhood basking in the sun or playing in its waters, they believed it to be the perfect spot to be wed. People were gathered on wooden benches around the Spring where Renado was already standing, waiting for the bride and groom. Link took his place next to Renado and Rusl, his best man, took his place along the shoreline.

He clasped his hand on Link's shoulder before he moved to his spot, and reassured him. "You'll be fine, it'll go by in minutes. So enjoy it, my boy."

"It's hard to enjoy this when I'm more nervous than anything." This feeling could be felt throughout his body. It took everything in his being to stop him from shaking. But his nervousness washed away when he turned his head, as did everyone else, to the entrance of Ordon Spring. There, Ilia was standing, waiting for the ceremony to begin. Link's jaw almost fell as he stared at her. The only person he could compare her to was the Goddess herself. Her beauty stunned him, as it did everyone else. A band formed by Gorons, Zoras, and Hylians began to play a slow, majestic piece of music, cuing the ceremony to begin.

Renado's daughter, Luda, walked down the path to the Spring, throwing autumn leaves along it to greet the bride at each step. Both Colin and Beth, who were standing next to Rusl and Uli along the Spring's shore, began ringing the bells given to them once Ilia made her appearance. Ilia, who was being escorted by her father, followed closely behind Luda. Once they made it to the Spring, Ilia hugged her father and he took his place on the closest bench to the front of the ceremony. Then, she approached Link, stepping into the cool Spring water with her bare feet.

"I was worried you wouldn't make." He let out jokingly. Ilia gave him a light shove, which caused the crowd to chuckle.

"I wouldn't miss this for the world." She replied, giving him a genuine smile of love and happiness.

The ceremony went by fast, and they barely knew it, Link had to be snapped back into reality when it was time to say his vows. This generated a humorous response from the attendants at the wedding. He recited his vows perfectly, not missing a beat. Both Bo and Rusl were proud to know that he had memorized them perfectly. Ilia then followed suit, giving a heartfelt speech equal to Link's. Once they were finished, they both kneeled as Renado blessed them both by showering them with Spring water and giving them a blessing of love from Ordona. As they stood, Renado motioned Link to place the golden wedding band on Ilia's left ring finger, which was given to him by Rusl. Once the ring was securely on Ilia's finger, Renado proclaimed, "You may now kiss the bride." Link needed no urging and kissed Ilia with such love that it would make the goddesses jealous. They broke apart to hear the round of applause they were receiving from the crowd, and see the tears and smiles on their faces. After making their way to Epona, they took the brown mare to Ordon Ranch, where the wedding reception was to be held.

Once the party began, all the guests dined on a meal of soup, pie, and dishes from every corner of Hyrule. After the meal was finished, everybody celebrated; some with drinks, some with more food, and some with the music being played from the wedding band. Telma urged Renado to dance with her, which he reluctantly did so as she began to drag him on to the dance floor. Luda took her place in the band by singing along with the music. Talo showed off his "sword skills" to a bunch of amused spectators, while his brother, Malo, manned the refreshment counter. Colin and Beth danced the night away, or tried to, and their parents did the same. Shad and Auru told tales of Link's adventure to the younger party guests as Ashei sat in a corner and watched. Bo was enjoying himself with some sumo matches against the Gorons, using the Iron Boots Link returned to him to win almost all of them. Finally, it came time for Ilia and Link's first dance, which was being watched by almost every eye at the reception. But the bride and groom didn't pay attention to any of them, they only paid attention to the one they were dancing with. When it was over, the two snuck away from the party being thrown in their honor.

They made their way, as they always did, to Ordon Spring. A cool wind was making its way across the water, causing it to ebb and sway ever so slightly. This caused the moon and star's reflections to reverberate and ripple. Ilia came up to the shore of the Spring, with Link coming behind and pulling her into his embrace. "Well, here we are." His smile reflected the light of the moon.

"Here we are." Ilia repeated with an equally bright smile. "I can't believe we're married." She turned to give him a quick kiss. "It's everything I dreamt it would be. And I wouldn't want this dream to be with anyone but you."

"Same here." He agreed with her. "I love you, Ilia. No matter what happens, as long as you're in my arms, I will protect you." They snuggled closer together.

She gripped tighter onto Link's hand. "Then I will always be in your arms and I will never let go."

The rest of the night was spent in the sands of the Spring, reliving memories and sharing new dreams they had for their future together. It was like their childhood all over again, except they were reliving it in each other's embrace. They asked each other questions and bathed in the moonlight from the night sky, accompanied by sweet nothings being whispered into the other's ear. Their love was simple and shone as bright as the sun that would greet them each day. It would greet them as it did every morning, but they would greet it differently. They would greet it together and in each other's arms, never letting go and their love never waning.

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**I love writing this story, but I swear, writing about all this love is making my testosterone levels go down, haha! XD So, enjoy the wedding? I hope so! It was a great piece to write and I loved working on it. This is the half-way point in the story, so 3 more chapters to go! And to those of you wondering about my Pokemon Tech story, I have been getting brainstorm after brainstorm for both stories, but since this a short story, I want to finish this first so I can focus on that. I'll try and have this done soon so I can continue, I promise!**

**Stay tuned, until next time y'all, peace! Thank ya kindly for reading :)**


	4. A Twilight of Their Own

**Hey y'all!**

**AGHHH… Another 1 am posting… Okay no freak out this time… Okay, I lied. A little bit of a freak out… I NEED TO GET SOME DAMN SLEEP! Alright, enough! Anyways, next chapter is a go, this one was… difficult to write. I don't know why, either, but I had to go through several ideas before it sounded just right, you know? I think you guys will like it. Huh, maybe I'll make this 1 am posting thing a tradition or something, hm… Anyways, please review, comment, critique, whatever you want on this story, positive or negative! Enjoy the story, folks!**

**I do not own, nor ever will own, the rights to the Legend of Zelda or any of the characters, objects, creatures, etc. Nintendo owns all rights to this franchise**

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**Chapter 4: A Twilight of Their Own**

It was dawn, the fog was beginning to clear as the herd was let out into the field from the barn. The green grass of Ordon Ranch served as the grazing ground for the goats that gave food and income to the villagers of the small Ordon region. Once they had all made their way out into the ranch, the sun had finally burst through the low lying clouds covering Ordon Village. The day was starting and autumn had begun to settle in, cooling the summer air that had just started to leave Hyrule. With this new change of pace in the seasons, Link was ready to begin his work.

There was nothing to it, really. He just had to make sure that the entire herd stayed in the enclosed pasture. If one of them strayed too close to the gate, then he would ride up on Epona and force it to rejoin the herd. This allowed for a lot of free time during his duties. Usually he would play with the kids, teaching Colin how to ride a horse or give lessons to Talo on how to _properly_ use a sword. Other times he would practice riding or swordplay himself, practicing and repeating the techniques the Hero of Time had taught him several times over. Practice and repeat, practice and repeat. Not today, however, today he sat on a pile of hay as he watched the clouds roll slowly across the blue sky, while entertaining memories and thoughts of the past. The first thing that came to his mind, as no surprise to him, was Ilia.

It had been almost two years since their wedding on that beautiful autumn day. Ever since then, their love had never once wavered or changed. They truly cared for each other, and loved the other, not just for their looks, but for who they were, for their compassion, loyalty, and everything in between. This made their love what it truly was. Over the past two years, Ilia and Link had spent much of their time together; them starting a life, leaving to visit Lake Hylia and Hyrule Castle after their wedding, and wondering about having a child.

At first, they only focused on the love between themselves, but as Ilia watched him play with the children of Ordon Village, she realized they would soon want one of their own. Happiness filled his face every time he held Uli's baby, giving extra care and allowing Colin to watch over them as he held her. That was one of the things Ilia loved about him, his caring attitude to everyone, his love for all the people in the village, the way he protected everyone from any danger that would come their way.

Once they returned from visiting Renado and Kakariko Village, they talked about the possibilities of having a child of their own. Joy had covered Link's face when she had told him about this. "I think that would be an amazing idea!" He held Ilia's hands in his as he looked into her eyes. "You would make a great mother." A smile appeared on her face.

"I hope so, but I know you would be an even better father." She remarked. "But first, we have to do something about your house. I don't think it's the best place to raise a child." A laugh escaped her as she was pulled onto Link's lap.

"Then I'll make it the perfect house for you and the baby. But…" Link trailed off for a second. "I think we should try for a baby first." A coy smile came to his mouth.

"Oh, you think so, huh?" His wife replied playfully. She kissed him deeply and they spent the rest of their day enjoying the sweet, loving embrace of the other as their dreams for a family began to take place.

The next day, Link went straight to work on renovating his house. It served him nicely when he was single and he could easily get up the ladder, but with a pregnant wife and a child, he would have to make it a bit safer. One of the first things he did was turn his basement into an entry hall, cutting a door out and adding stairs for access to the second floor. After that, he got rid of the ladder that led up to the original entry way and fenced off the point where it had ended at the top. Once that was finished, he moved furniture to the new entry way and built a fire place so the house would stay warm during the winter months. A little more tweaking was made around the house, as Link wanted to make sure everything was perfectly safe.

It took almost two months to fully renovate the house, and by then, Ilia knew she was pregnant. One month following the renovation, she began to show. Everything was going the way they wanted it to; the house was renovated, they were going to have their own child, and the love between had never been stronger.

Each day, Link had a spent most of his time preparing for the baby's arrival. He crafted a cradle out of the wood from Ordon Forest and made several small playthings for the baby to enjoy. Every time he made something, he would show it to Ilia. She would usually tear up and hug Link while repeating the same mantra "You're an amazing father" over and over again.

Of course, the months before the baby was born weren't all easy and joyful. Some nights, Ilia would awake and shake Link until he woke up, which usually took a few minutes since he was such a deep sleeper. When he was finally awake, Ilia would make a request for a certain type of food. Sometimes it was a simple piece of food that was in their house, like Ordon cheese or Ordon pumpkin, but sometimes it was an almost impossible request. She would ask for Hylian bass smeared with Ordon pumpkin butter, or hot spring water laced with desert spices. Again, these were nearly impossible to find, so when he said he could not get them that night, she would break down in tears, her emotions running wild. It would eventually lead to her pulling herself close to him and falling asleep in his arms.

This was a regular occurrence, happening at least once a week, and her emotions didn't make it better. One moment she would be happy and proud of carrying a child, then she would transform into the Ilia that hit Link for doing things she did not like. Every time she did this, they were undeserved, but they didn't hurt Link, they were still playful punches to the shoulder or slaps on the back of the head. Even with all of this happening, they were still able to find peace and love in each other.

Most nights, they would lie under the stars and talk about their dreams for their family, or what happened during the previous day. Simple things and a simple time. They would stay out and watch the sky until one of them fell asleep. Sometimes, they both fell asleep and slept in the open field next to Link's house, being awaken by either Epona or one of the village's children the following morning. Things like this made the emotionally trying times of Ilia's pregnancy easier to deal with.

Now, it had been months since they had learned of Ilia's expecting child. It would only be a matter of time before the baby was born. Link had hope upon hope that he was ready, that they were ready.

Link was jolted back into the present as he heard someone yelling his name from across the field. He turned his view to the ranch's entrance to see Fado running towards him. The farmhand was in such a hurry, that he tripped a few times on his path towards Link. When he finally reached his destination, he tried to speak in between staggered breaths. "Ilia… She…"

As he was catching up with his breathing, Link became worried. With all this frantic running and yelling, then saying something about Ilia, how could he not be worried? Fado was still hunched over and gasping for air. Link helped him up and off the ground to get him to finish his sentence. "What? What's wrong with Ilia?!" Fear and worry were the only two emotions in his voice.

Fado was finally able to pull himself together. "It's time. She's having the baby! When she began to feel it happenin', she was at Ordon Spring, making a cradle. I was passing by, returnin' from Castle Town when I heard. I went to get Bo and Uli first, then came here to get you." He made a big gasp for air, running out of breath at the end of his sentence.

A mask of emotions came over Link, fear and nervousness being prevalent over everything else. He sprinted towards Epona and jumped on her back, commanding her to go as fast as she could towards the Spring. Epona got him there, but he didn't even pay attention to commanding her. All Link could think about was Ilia and the baby, Ilia and the baby. Over and over in his mind, worry after worry. However, even amongst all the troubling thoughts in his head, he thought of the joy this baby would bring to him and Ilia. They finally made it to the Spring, everything was calm and quiet, except for the screaming Ilia lying near the shore with Uli next to her.

Link leaped off Epona and immediately made his way over to Ilia's side. "It's okay, Ilia. I'm here." He comforted her.

"Oh, Link. I'm glad your-" Ilia was cut short as another contraction made its to Ilia's body and another round of screams followed.

Her husband held her hand, as did Uli. "You're doing good, Ilia. Your father will be here soon with Sera." Uli said in a calming tone. As if on queue, Bo and Sera burst from Ordon Spring's entrance, both carrying towels and blankets in their hands. They ran to Uli and handed her the materials she asked for. "Okay, I have what I need", she began amongst Ilia's screams. "Sera, I'm going to need your help with this. Link, Bo, I think it might be best that you two leave."

An immediate protest began to form in their throats, but Uli held her hand up to stop them. "I'm sorry, but it would be for the best, okay? We will come get you once the baby has been born, I promise." All Link could do was nod. He squeezed Ilia's hand to reassure her one last time and gave her a quick kiss. Bo followed up with a kiss to her forehead. Both Bo and Link slowly staggered out of the Spring, bringing Epona along with them. They made their way to the area in front of Link's house, seeing Rusl and the rest of Ordon Village waiting for any news.

"She seems to be doing fine." Bo began. "But we can't know for certain, not until she gives birth." He went and sat down on a log in the clearing, putting his head in his hands and becoming lost in his own thoughts.

Rusl came up to Link, seeing as he was as worried as Bo, he reassured him, "She'll be fine, my boy. She's strong and will easily make it through this. Trust me." He finished with the smile that always made Link know everything would be alright. But at this moment, it didn't help him.

"Thanks, Rusl. I hope you're right." Was all he could get out. After that, he began to simply pace back and forth around the area in front of his house. It was a little after midday then, and eventually peopled started to file out and attend to their chores as the day wore on. This just left Rusl, Colin, his daughter, who was now a toddler, Bo, and Link. Rusl was playing with Colin and his daughter, while Bo was still sitting on his log. Link was still pacing around the house, wearing a path into the dirt, showing where he had walked to and from. The day dragged on, and not a word was heard from Uli, Sera, or Ilia, except the screams that were echoing through the forest. Each scream sent a ping of pain into Link, knowing that he couldn't help her, knowing that she was in pain… It tore him apart having to suffer through it.

It wasn't until the sun began to wane and twilight started to settle in that the group received any word from the three women. Sera was the first to come through the pathway. Both Bo and Link ran up to her, worry written all over their faces. She put their worries to rest. "Ilia is doing well, she had a clean birth. Everything is fine, and…" She left the two men in suspense for a moment, but only for a moment. "There's someone who wants to meet you." A smile appeared on her face, as did one on Bo's and Link's. They raced to Ordon Spring and were met with the sight of Ilia being held up by Uli. In Ilia's arms was a blanket, wrapping around and protecting something inside.

She looked up and saw her husband and father looking at them, and she smiled. "Come here. There's someone who wants to say hello." Both men went up to her to look at the beautiful baby girl that was now in her arms. She shifted the bundle of blankets so that they could see the child. Her hair was in little dark blonde wisps, nearly matching the skies of twilight, Link thought. She was just born, but both of them could tell that she had Ilia's tender face and Link's deep, blue eyes. Everything about the baby girl was beautiful. "Here. I'm sure she would love to be held by her father." Ilia handed her to Link, and he gently cradled her in his arms.

As he looked down on his child, every emotion of terror, of fear, of worriedness disappeared, leaving only an immense feeling of joy. She was everything Link and Ilia ever wanted. There was only one thing left to do. "What should we name her?" He questioned Ilia. A smile appeared on her face, and they both knew what to call her. Link turned his head to the setting sun, everything about it reminded him of his new born daughter. He turned back to look at her. "Welcome to the family. Twyla." The sun finally set, leaving the light of the stars and moon the only thing to shine down on the Ordon Spring.

Life is an amazing thing, being created and destroyed in the blink of an eye. Only through a few things can the beauty of life be captured. Twyla's birth was one of them. She brought joy to the world through just being born, her parents had felt no sense of happiness greater than this. Such happiness would be felt for the rest of their lives, as their daughter took her first breaths in this ever changing, yet loving, world.

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**Okay! Exciting chapter! Yes, yes?! I know I didn't go into a lot of detail when Ilia and Link tried to conceive Twyla… Okay, I didn't go into any detail at all! But, I'm really new at writing some of this romantic stuff, so just bear with me, folks! I hope you guys liked it, and I went through name after name for Twyla, but this just sounded kind of right. I'm already hearing the "Why didn't you name her after Midna?" or something along those lines. Well, I didn't because it would be too cliché… And I already read a fanfic with that happening, so went to the drawing board on that!**

**Well, hope this was a good chapter for y'all, only 2 more chapters left! I pray to every god out there that they will both be good! Stay tuned, until next time y'all, peace! Thank ya kindly for reading :)**


	5. A Father and Daughter's Journey

**Hey y'all**

**Yeah guys, I know… Another late chapter post, but not as late at least! Finally, chapter 5 is done! This was a really difficult peace to write, well maybe not write, but to put together. It had to sound right and I had to give a good glimpse of what Twyla is like. I hope I did well by y'all's standards! Please review, critique, and comment, good and bad s'il vous-plait! Enjoy the story, folks!**

**I do not own, nor ever will own, the rights to the Legend of Zelda or any of the characters, objects, creatures, etc. Nintendo owns all rights to this franchise**

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**Chapter 5: A Father and Daughter's Journey**

A rolling wind blew over the green grass of Hyrule Fields. The sun's rays burst through the clouds that had just threatened the region with rain only moments ago. With that, the field was lit and beauty was abound as birds chirped in the few trees and fish swam in the small pond. Wild animals ran about the field, chasing one another for play or for the hunt. Everything was right with the world and at peace, the very things the Hero of Twilight fought to achieve.

No one else was able to admire the beauty Hyrule Fields had to offer, Link, Epona, and a young girl, no more than nine, were the only ones to see it that day. The young girl had hair that could remind one of the sunset that settled over the world every day just before night followed it. Her eyes, like her father's, were as blue as the Zora's Sapphire that was talked about in legends. Though her eyes matched her father's, her face resembled that of her mother. It had the same look of innocence that could easily turn against you if something was done that was not to her liking. This was the one that Link treasured dearly, this was his daughter, Twyla.

They made their way to Castle Town later that day, visiting on a promise that Link gave to her: the next time he traveled there, he would take his daughter with him. The trip would only last a couple days, but Twyla was in awe at every second of it. She admired the town square and the beautiful fountain that shot water into the air. The excitement of the town market found its way into her bones, and she begged her father to buy her mother something. He knew exactly what to get her, but kept it a secret from his daughter. The final thing they saw was Hyrule castle.

When Link took Twyla to see it, her jaw almost fell through to the other side of the world. It was gorgeous. All the years of repairs had finally paid off and all of the towers and bastions stood stoically, greeting their arrival. The gardens were in full bloom, as it was spring time in Hyrule, and gardeners were tending to the various flowers, trees, and hedges that were located around the castle. Everything was beautiful and hopefully it would stay that way. What was even more impressive to the young girl was the interior of the castle.

At the entrance to the castle, Twyla stared at the numerous guards who watched over it in silence as diplomats, politicians, and nobles came together in the entrance hall. Several balconies were along the walls and had more nobles chatting on them. The halls they walked through went on forever and seemed to have no end. They were decorated with several beautiful paintings that Twyla loved, but the suits of armor gave an eerie atmosphere that she couldn't shake off. Once they were outside on the ledges leading to the throne room, Twyla clung onto Link, which received a laugh from him as he held onto his daughter. She looked back at him with a face that resembled the mock anger her mother would show in a situation like this. Finally, they reached the throne room, which was more spectacular than the rest of the castle combined. A blue line of cloth led to the throne, which sat at the top of a short pathway of stairs. The throne was made out of gold and red cushioning with the family seal of the Hyrule Royal family on top of it. The statue behind the throne was a brilliant design of the triforce and the three goddesses, Farore, Nayru, and Din, surrounding it. Twyla couldn't take her eyes off of it. The design of the statue captivated her, it was as beautiful as it was symbolic of the three Golden Goddesses that watched over Hyrule.

Twyla was directed to a small bench near the entrance of the throne room while her father talked to Princess Zelda. It was a friendly conversation they had, talking about recent happenings, past events they had together, and whatever also they could think of. Once they concluded talking, they gave each other a friendly hug and Link came over to Twyla, picking her up as he did so. At this point, weariness from the day's excitement could be seen in Twyla's eyes.

"So, is my little Twyla tired, yet?" Link teased, knowing what the answer would be.

"No…" A small yawn accompanied her response as she laid her head on Link's shoulder. "I think I'm gonna rest my eyes… Just for a little bit…" With that, she fell into a deep sleep. There was no way Link would be able to wake her up until she was rested, they both shared that trait.

While they were visiting Castle Town, Telma's Bar served as their place to stay. Twyla loved Telma and her cat, she enjoyed staying at her place, drinking some milk with her father and Telma, and just enjoying each other's companies. She had a simple taste when it came to entertaining herself, growing up in Ordon Village was a main factor in that.

The next day, the two visited a few more friends of Link and enjoyed everything else the town had to offer. They first went to visit Agatha, who was a weird bug girl who had thanked Link over and over again for completing her "kingdom". Twyla thought it was weird being inside her house with a variety of glowing insects flying and crawling around.

Next, Twyla went to have her fortune read. Link actually believed in what the fortune teller said, as what she said about his journey was spot on when he first visited her. The fortune teller looked into her crystal ball and read Twyla's fortune. Once she had finished, the fortune teller wore a smile on her face.

"My dear child, you will live in the loving embrace of your parents and friends, and then embark on a journey of adventure and self-discovery when you are older." Twyla stared at the fortune teller in awe as she foretold what would happen to the young Ordonian. "It will be a journey that requires wisdom, courage, and power, and you will discover it all, in due time." Excitement shone in Twyla's eyes as her fortune was finished. Link and his daughter thanked her and then made their way back to the town market.

After that, they went to visit the proprietor of the STAR game, Purlo. When Link tapped him on the shoulder and Purlo turned around, he nearly screamed in terror, much to Twyla's amusement. He asked Link if he would like to watch the next participant in the game, but Link paid him and put himself in as the next participant, since no one else was really playing. With his claw shot, he cleaned Purlo out, again. The swindler put his head in his hands, beaten at his own game. Much to Purlo's glee, Link and Twyla left after winning only one game. The owner gave them a half-hearted "Come again", not meaning it in the slightest.

They then stopped by the Malo Mart located in the town square, being greeted by the Hero of Deals himself, Malo. Over the past eleven years, his appearance had changed only slightly. His baby-like complexion had finally left his face, but, even though he grew, he was still short by adult standards, which amused Twyla since she was only a head shorter than him. Still, he had his sarcastic sense of humor and usually stayed quiet, unless approached by a friend, family member, or worker.

"Link, Twyla! It is good to see some friendly faces!" He greeted them, only showing a slight hint of cheerfulness in his voice.

"Hey, Malo." Link returned the greeting. "How has business been?"

"It has been great, no one can beat the Hero of Deals. I might be able to expand my business outside of Hyrule soon." Pride could be seen on his face, but his voice still remained quiet and calm.

"That's great to hear, Malo!"

"Thanks, now is there anything you are interested in buying?" He immediately went back to a business-like appearance. "Time is money, after all. And if you aren't buying anything, you're wasting both…"

Twyla looked amongst the items that were being displayed in the store. A doll with a frilly dress was over in the display case, a bottle of perfume was being held on top of the counter, and several other trinkets that she didn't really care for were being advertised around the store. Finally, her eyes fell onto a bow and quiver on the wall behind the counter. They were both very small, but they would fit her perfectly. Ever since Twyla had discovered Link's bow that he used as a child in one of his chests when she was seven, she had been obsessed with learning the art of archery. She would practice with her father almost every day, becoming a prodigy of the bow. After her ninth birthday, however, the bow broke from wear and age, saddening the young archer.

Link noticed her staring at the pair of items hanging up on the wall. "Malo, how much for the bow and quiver?" He asked in a low voice.

Said businessman looked over at the items, contemplating what the price should be for Link. "Well, usually I would charge around two hundred rupees for such an item set… But since I'm the Hero of Deals and you're the Hero of Twilight, I can knock fifty rupees off the final price and add in thirty arrows free of charge. Final deal, no haggling." His face was stern, showing he would not budge from his "gracious" offer.

"Alright, alright. Deal." Link handed over the rupees he owed. "Geez, how did I let you swindle me so many times on my journey?"

A humorous smile came to Malo's face. "Supply and demand is a harsh mistress, that's why."

Twyla came up to them with a begging look in her eyes. "Daddy? Can I please have that bow and quiver?"

Link laughed at the puppy dog attempt she was giving him. Ilia had made him immune to it after all of these years, but he still had trouble with his daughter. "I don't know, Malo can she have them?"

"Link, you already brought them. You're wasting time and money if you're not buying anything else." Malo said very bluntly, turning away from the two to attend to other customers.

Link wasn't surprised that Malo didn't follow along with his ruse. He had hoped he would, but hope wasn't enough this time. He sighed and turned to Twyla, who had glee written all over her face. "Are they really mine?" She questioned with a hopeful look and begging eyes.

"Yes, Twyla. I've already paid for the bow and quiver. They are yours." He told her with a gentle smile. She jumped and hugged Link, nearly knocking him down in surprise.

"Thank you, daddy." She gave him one last squeeze with her arms, then let go so she could claim her new treasures. The two items were on the counter, waiting to be taken into their new owner's hands. Twyla strapped the filled quiver onto her back and tucked the bow inside of it, keeping it safe. Her father had never seen her so happy. When they left the shop, the sun was almost beyond the horizon, blending in with the curls of Twyla's long hair.

They made their way back to Telma's Bar, where they all had another round of milk and stories. This time, they talked about Link's own journey. Twyla loved hearing about her father being a hero, it painted him a light that made him praise worthy. And she was proud that she could call the Hero of Twilight her father. Eventually, her head landed on Link's shoulder as she fell asleep. He smiled, as did Telma, and he put her to bed. She needed her rest, for it would be a long trip home tomorrow and they needed to get up early.

Once the sun rose, Link and Twyla were already up, preparing to leave and eating a quick breakfast of eggs, bread, and milk. When they were finished, they headed for the door.

"It was so great seeing you, honey!" She said to Link as she gave him a big hug. "Make sure to take care of that precious thing, Ilia. You hear?" Link nodded with a smile on his face and received a wink from Telma. Then, she knelt down to Twyla's eye level. "And _you_ make sure to take care of your daddy, there's no telling what manner of trouble he can get into!" Twyla laughed at this, then gave Telma a hug. After they released each other, Telma took something out from behind her back and opened her hand in front of Twyla, revealing a silver pendant of the Triforce attached to a simple piece of rope.

She put it around Twyla's neck, earning another hug from Twyla. "Thank you for the gift, Auntie Telma." She thanked her, using Telma's playful nickname. "I love it."

"I knew you would, honey." A smile highlighted both of their faces, as well as Link's. "Now go on, before it gets dark and hungry Wolfos start to come out!"

"Bye, Telma. It was great seeing you, again!" Link called back as they left for the south gate of Castle Town.

Once they were outside the gates, Link played Epona's song on the charm Ilia gave him during his journey. She came galloping up to them, ready to go back home. They gave her a few carrots and they began the trip back.

The journey home wasn't necessarily long, but they still had to make camp for a night in Hyrule Field, even with riding on Epona. Night wasn't as dangerous as it used to be, Link had made sure of that after saving Hyrule. He cleared almost every instance of evil he saw throughout the land, clearing the area of monsters. It made the nights in Hyrule less threatening, even peaceful at times.

They set up camp on the opposite side of the small bridge that crossed the pond. Once night had settled in, Link and Twyla built a campfire and sat around it, discussing the trip and what their favorite part about it was. Link enjoyed being able to see many of his friends that he had met throughout his journey, happy to know they were all doing well. Twyla's favorite part, which was obvious to Link, was receiving her new bow and quiver, she still had them strapped to her back. Before night fell, she and Link shot at a few trees to see if her skills were still up to par. She was a little rusty at first, but she eventually got back to the point where she could match her father shot for shot.

After recounting all that had happened to them in the past few days, they laid down next to the pond, watching the night sky. "You see that constellation?" Link questioned as he pointed towards a cluster of stars. Twyla nodded in response. "Well, that's called 'the Mask'. You can see it with the two stars across from each other in the heart shaped ring made by some other stars. Then, eight stars surround the heart shaped ring to form eight spikes. It's supposed to represent a mask that could end the world as we know it!"

Twyla stared in awe. "One mask could destroy the world?" She questioned, slightly horrified.

Link chuckled. "So the legend goes, but it's just a legend." She was still scared, and curled up next to her father.

"You'll protect from the scary mask, right?" Her eyes were full of fright and she looked at Link.

He pulled his daughter closer to him. "Of course I will, you're my little Princess Twyla." They fell asleep that way, Link protecting his daughter and Twyla relying on the protection of her father. He wouldn't always be able to protect her, he knew that. But for now, he would do anything to make sure she always felt safe.

When morning came, they quickly broke down camp and put out the embers of the fire. They got up on Epona and made their way to the entrance of Faron Woods. On the way they gave a quick greeting to the lantern salesman, Coro. He gave his usual "Hey, guy" greeting to Link and "Hey, girl" greeting to Twyla. As they traveled deeper and deeper into Faron Woods, they eventually made it to the Ordon Woods. After they crossed the bridge, they turned towards the Ordon Spring, only to be greeted, unsurprisingly to them, by Ilia.

She heard the two of them coming and turned her head to the Spring's entrance. "Welcome back!" Ilia exclaimed as she walked over to give Link a kiss. "I'm glad your home, safe and sound. I missed you." The love between Link and Ilia, after all of these years, still hadn't changed.

Link held her for a moment. "I missed you, too." They both smiled at the other, and then Ilia turned her attention to her daughter.

She gave her a gentle hug. "Welcome back, sweetie!"

Twyla hugged back in response. "I'm glad to be back, mommy."

When they released, Ilia noticed the bow and quiver she had on over her shoulder. She then turned to face Link. "I'm guessing you bought this for her?" A glare was beginning to form on Ilia's face.

Link panicked slightly, still not able to deal with Ilia when he did something she didn't like. It wasn't that she thought archery was dangerous, quite the opposite in fact, it was a great skill to have. However, she did not like Twyla carrying her own weapon at her age. "Well… I just thought that… Um…" He couldn't come up with anything to say to her, then Twyla tug on Link's tunic.

She whispered behind her hand, "Remember the gift we got her?" Realization dawned on Link and he pulled a wooden box out of Epona's pack

"Here", Link said with a smile as he held out the box, giving it to Ilia. "I thought of you when I saw this."

She stared at the box, it was a simple, but elegant, design and it had a small key on the side of it that turned the interior gears of the small gift. Once she turned the little key, the box opened by itself, producing a small, wooden red headed girl with an ocarina. She stood in the middle of a boy with a green tunic, similar to Link's, riding a young, brown horse in a circle. As he circled around the wooden girl, she rocked from side to side. While this was happening, what was unmistakably Epona's song was playing from the small music box. Ilia loved it. Her eyes started to water, touched by the fact that Link still thought of her when he saw something like this.

She looked up to him and he had a smile on his face, as did Twyla. Ilia embraced Link tightly and gave him another kiss. "Thank you, Link. This means a lot. But don't think this lets you off the hook." She chuckled after she finished.

Link let out a small laugh. "I know, but I thought it might help."

"It definitely did." Their smiles continued.

Twyla interrupted their encounter. "Daddy, mommy. Can I go play with Lilith and show her my new bow?" Her tone was pleading and her parents couldn't resist it.

Ilia answered. "Yes, you can go play with her." Twyla jumped with glee and gave both her parents a quick hug, then she ran off back to Ordon Village to play with her friend. "But be careful with the bow and don't point it at her!" Ilia called out after she left the Spring. "You know," she turned to Link. "Her energetic personality comes from you." They both laughed.

"Yeah, but her sweet and caring side comes from her mother." They embraced each other, again.

"Well, then she must be an amazing woman." She responded playfully.

Link followed suit. "That she is, the most amazing woman I know." They stayed in each other's arms by the Spring, enjoying the sun and water until twilight came, at which point they made their way back to Ordon Village.

Having a child does not ruin the relationship or love of the parents, as some think. Only people who are not meant to be together experience this. Link and Ilia, however, were meant to be together, as their love was only strengthened by the nine years of caring and raising they had given their daughter. They were a family, and loving and caring for that family was the top priority of both Link and Ilia.

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**Alright, hope that was a good chapter for y'all! Writing up the character of Twyla was very fun, I had to combine a lot of Link and Ilia's traits to make her. It was slightly challenging, but I loved it! I hope you like my description of some of the characters from Twilight Princess, as well. Only one more chapter to go, guys. It's been fun so far, so I'm gonna end with a bang! And by that, I mean I may make some of you have the feels, far warning here.**

**Stay tuned, until next time y'all, peace! Thank ya kindly for reading :)**


	6. A Last Moment

**Hey y'all**

**So, it's finally here. The last chapter of my first fanfiction. It actually is kind of humbling and cool to have written a full story, even though it's only a short story haha. This chapter could play with your feels, I don't know. Again, this is some territory I haven't set foot in as a writer, yet. So, if it's not up to par with what you usually read, please forgive me. With experience comes better writing, so I promise my writing will definitely get better. So, please comment, critique, and review with both positive and negative comments. And, for the last time on this fanfic, enjoy the story, folks!**

**I do not own, nor ever will own, the rights to the Legend of Zelda or any of the characters, objects, creatures, etc. Nintendo owns all rights to this franchise**

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**Chapter 6: A Last Moment**

The cold, winter wind howled outside as night began to settle in. It was one of the coldest winters Hyrule had seen in decades, adding layer upon layer of snow and ice every day and night. Outside most buildings, you would find a path of snow that would come up to your knees with walls of snow on either side of the path that came up to your torso almost every morning. An endless cycle began as the people dug out a path each morning only to have it covered again almost every night. This winter was indeed brutal, but nothing Link and Ilia hadn't seen before.

In the past fifty years of their life together, they had seen it all. Blistering heat waves that caused crops to wilt and die, and terrible storms that uprooted trees and destroyed buildings. They visited places that had rain storms that lasted for days and places that had no rain in years. One would, consequently, grow used to such extreme weather patterns. So, this wasn't more than a small annoyance to them as they knew how to deal with it.

Inside their house, which was built into a full grown tree, they sat by the fire, enjoying a warm bowl of soup and the silence of each other's company. Warm smiles were on their faces as they sat close to each other and held the other's hand. With just their company they felt warmer, but the fire wouldn't make them feel any colder.

They were usually the only bit of company the other had, as most people had left Ordon Village. The few that stayed had chores to attend to most of the day, so they didn't have time to stop by and greet the elderly couple. Link and Ilia stayed inside most days as well, adding to the list of reasons why outside company was scarce. But they didn't mind it, they loved being alone together, most times.

Other times, they wished for their daughter, Twyla, to be home. She left on a journey to see the world outside of Hyrule when she was twenty. That had been thirty years ago and she hadn't returned to Hyrule in the last ten years. Usually, she would return after a year or two to visit and check on her parents, but they hadn't received a word from her in years, causing both Link and Ilia to worry. However, their worry would subside as they knew that their daughter was strong and brave, she could handle herself.

So, they began to worry less and less, enjoying their twilight years and the peace that was given to them. They found a few activities to keep them occupied in their waning lives, such as Link learning how to play the lute, serenading and practicing for Ilia whenever he could. While Link learned how to play this instrument, Ilia learned how to paint. Her normal subjects were nature, making the Ordon Spring her number one source of inspiration. From time to time, however, she would try to do a portrait of herself or Link. They weren't as good as her nature paintings, but they did have a certain style to them that garnered attention from Link and the Ordonians who lived in the region. Soon, she began to paint portraits for many of the villagers, allowing them to have a little piece of luxury.

Even with age, Link continued to practice his sword skills, keeping him in shape and making look less like his age. He had to, he was the only who could protect the village if need be. His horseback skills had dwindled, however, as he couldn't ride another horse after Epona had passed. When she died, it was like a stab to the heart as he felt grief for losing one of his closest friends. It was a sad day, but, as all wounds do, the sorrow in his heart healed and he continued to live and love. With their age, Link and Ilia had experienced many of their friends passing away. Bo, Rusl, Uli, almost everyone in the village they grew up with and considered their family. But they would eventually learn to cope with the sadness and their hearts would mend themselves. Each death made them stronger and more resilient, so the pain became duller and duller.

Although, each death made them feel luckier and luckier to have what they had: being able to give your heart to someone and receive theirs in return. Even after fifty years of marriage, they still felt the same feeling of love they had felt all those autumns ago on the day of their wedding. It was beautiful, nothing could ever tear them apart.

They ate their soup and just stared into the fire, gently holding the other's hand to let them know they were still there. Nothing disturb the peace of mind that they were in, not even the howling of the winter storm outside. Then, Link got up from his seat without any words, grabbed his lute, and started plucking out a simple chord progression. Though it was simple, it was beautiful and filled the room with music. Once he started playing, he looked over towards Ilia. "Well", he began in a tired, old voice. "This music is great and all to listen to, but I think it'd be better to dance to it." A knowing smile appeared on his face as a warm smile came to Ilia's. She got up from where she was sitting and began to do a slow, shifting dance in front of Link.

The tempo had set the pace for a faster sort of dance, but Ilia matched the half-tempo perfectly. She swayed back in forth, stepping here and there with the skirt of her dress in her hands. When she was younger, she wanted to be as graceful as a Zora in water. With age, she was able to do just that. She moved, even for her old age, with fluidity and confidence in her dancing. Any would be awed at the small performance that the two were giving.

When Ilia really got into the dance, she closed her eyes and let the melody enter her mind, careful not to hit any furniture around the fire. Eventually, when Link could tell she was too occupied with dancing, he stopped playing and put the Lute down. He replaced the instrument's plucking the melody with him humming it. Then, he moved towards Ilia and grab her hands, sending a small wave of surprise to her. Once she opened her eyes, she smiled to see her husband joining her elegant dance. However, it was about to become a lot less elegant as Link couldn't dance a single step without tripping up. But it didn't matter, she would lead and he would follow, allowing for the dance to be a little less of a disaster.

They started off slowly, matching the half-tempo of the song that Link was now humming. Most of the dance was accompanied by laughing, toe-stepping, and Link saying "sorry" over and over again. Once they were comfortable with the dance, however, they were able to ease themselves into a simpler and slower dance. Link brought down the tempo of his humming to match it. The moment was perfect, just the two of them enjoying the company of the other as they danced the night away without a worry in the world. About five minutes later, they halted their dance as the two became slightly exhausted. However, they finished like any would, with Ilia curtseying and Link bowing while kissing Ilia's hand gently. After they finished, they laughed an amusing, joyful laugh. It was moments like this that made life worth living for them.

Ilia went to look out the window and saw that the storm had stopped, leaving a light flurry of snow outside. "Let's go to the Ordon Spring, Link." She finally said. "It may be cold outside, but the snow looks so beautiful and I have a feeling the Spring will look even more beautiful." Link came up and put his hands on her shoulders, causing Ilia to put her hand on one of his.

"I think that's a great idea." Link replied as he grabbed a wool tunic for himself and Ilia's winter shawl. Once they believed themselves to be perfectly warm, they exited the house, arm in arm.

Ilia was right, the snow was beautiful. Since it hadn't snowed the night before, a nice white blanket covered the field in front of their home, barely coming up to their ankles. The moon broke through the clouds from time to time, shining brilliantly and reflecting small bits of light off of the pure white snow. Few stars could be seen past the cloud cover, but the ones that could be seen were peppering the black sky with luminous bits of white light. The air had become still, barely shaking the branches of the now dead trees. It was a perfect night.

The elderly couple walked along the path of fresh snow, creating the first footprints in it. Due to their old age, it took them longer than usual to reach Ordon Spring, but they made their way eventually and were in awe at what the Spring had turned into. Frozen waterfalls formed the back wall of Ordon Spring, reflecting small streams of light when they could. Beautiful icicles hanging from the small cliffs sparkled and dazzled in this light, and held steady to the small bit of land they hung from. Finally, the Spring itself was completely frozen and covered in newly laid snow. It was beautiful, and Link and Ilia admired it as they stood at the entrance to the Spring. They walked over to the shore and sat down in their usual spot.

Link let the quite peacefulness take over for a few more moments before interrupting it. "This hasn't changed one bit." He turned his head to Ilia with a smile. "It's still the same as when we were young: just us sitting here, together, nothing to worry about." Ilia smiled gently at what her husband had said.

"Yes, it hasn't changed, but I believed were able to play around and climb trees back then." They both laughed at their old age. It didn't matter to them if they could do that though, peace and quiet suited them just fine.

"Well, there is one thing we can still do that we did when we were young." He began as Ilia looked at him questioningly. "So, remind me: if you could be one other race in all of Hyrule, which one would you be?"

Ilia laughed at the question given to her, remembering the game they played when they were only kids. "Well, I don't know if you know this", she began playfully. "But I would be a Zora. They're so graceful and they get to spend their entire life in water. Although, I don't think that would be such a great thing right now." They chuckled as they looked at the frozen spring. "So, what about you, Link?"

"Well, I think I would be a Goron. They're so strong and can decimate boulders with their bare hands. But, I think I'm just as strong as them now."

Ilia laughed. "I don't think so, mister!"

"Oh yeah? Who defeated them in several sumo matches to help save Hyrule, then?"

"That doesn't count, you used those Iron Boots to help you win."

"Yea, but strength still has to count for something, at least a little bit anyways."

Both of them chuckled. Ilia put her hand on Link's and her head on his shoulder. "Okay, it does a little bit. I'll give you that."

They laid down on the snow, ignoring the small bits of cold they felt and relived the memories of their youth. How Link would always get into trouble with the goats, or how Ilia had to get him out of trouble with her father. They talked about all of it, almost all of their lives together were relived as they talked about them. Throughout the entirety of their own lives, they were next to each other, supporting the other in one or another. As well, they continued asking questions, playing the old game they played during the summer months of the year as the basked in the sun and swam in the Spring. Everything was perfect.

"Remember that time Fado let all the goats stampede into the village?" Link asked with amusement

"Which time?" Ilia questioned playfully.

"Good point. I always had to round them back up." A sullen look came to Link's face. "Sometimes I miss those days and the people that those days brought."

Ilia looked at Link and squeezed his hand. "I know, so do I. But, we still have each other, and we always will." The sullen look disappeared from Link's face. Sometimes he needed this reminder, a reminder that Ilia mattered the most above everything else.

"I know. I know…" He sighed and gave Ilia a gentle kiss.

Ilia gave a yawn and began to drift in and out of sleep in Link's arms. Eventually, she feel into a deep slumber. Link looked up at the stars and traced the outlines of the constellations he learned of when he was a child. One of his favorite constellations, the River, was out that night. He loved that constellation because it was just a simple collection of stars that formed three wavy lines, earning it the name of the River, and gave a peaceful feeling to anyone who looked at it. As he stared at this constellation, he was becoming drowsy himself, so he decided to wake Ilia up to go back to their home.

He turned to her, but as he did so, he could tell something wasn't right. Her chest wasn't moving and he couldn't hear a single breath escape from her lips. "Ilia?" He shook her slightly. Link put his ear to her chest, searching for a heartbeat, but there were none to be found. A single tear rolled down his face. "Ilia…? He repeated with a choked voice. Still, she wasn't responding, and he knew then that she was gone. She looked so peaceful there, just lying as her life left her.

Link gave her a gentle kiss on the cheek and laid his head back down on the snow. Though he felt a sense of distress and sadness, he knew it was for the best. They could finally leave this world and rest in the arms of the goddesses. Slowly, drowsiness came over Link and he too fell into a sleep from which he would never awaken. The couple laid side by side, hand in hand, and left the world of the living within moments of each other.

In the cold, calm winter night, Link and Ilia departed the realm of the living. It was a sad day as the Hero of Twilight had finally passed on to his eternal rest, but many took comfort in the fact that Ilia was by his side when they both died. They would greet the goddesses together as they ascended to the heavens above Hyrule. Even death couldn't separate them, because, in both life and death, true friendship never fails, true love will never languish, and true bonds never break.

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**And… Done. Well then, that's the end of that story! I really, REALLY hope y'all enjoyed this piece of writing! It was so much fun to write and I'm a little bit sad that it's over, but all good things must come to an end! Thank y'all so much for the reviews (and the four reviews I got from the same user, looking at you Twilight16 haha)! It definitely feels good to actually have written a story that people enjoy. In other news, I will **_**not **_**be continuing Pokémon Tech until I return to college, I just don't feel as inspired to write it now that I'm on summer break. But, I will be continuing my zombie fiction novel, **_**The World Ended Silently**_**, on , so go ahead and check that out!**

**Anyways, this is nickdaman6 signing off and I hope you guys loved this story! Until next time y'all, peace! Thank ya kindly for reading :)**


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